Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves

According to the most recent periodic report (State Party of Brazil, 2023), there is only some participation of key stakeholders in the management system and the relationship between the property managers and local stakeholders is poor. Tensions between tourism and conservation goals sometimes lead to differences, which need addressing in the National Park Consultative Committee, and as part of the participatory process for the development of the property’s management plan (ICMBio, 2011). Environmental NGOs take part in discussions about planning, community capacity-building and monitoring, and act as facilitators (Estima et al., 2013). However, as the majority of tourism-directed decisions are made by the hotel owners, ICMBio and Gestão Insular, people outside of these organizations are not always able to effectively participate in decision-making processes (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

The participatory process in the protected area takes place in the context of advisory councils; however, the final decision is made by the managing institution. A Sustainability Program for the FN Archipelago – Noronha +20, which is an interinstitutional pact aiming at the social and environmental well-being of the archipelago, focuses on critical issues ranging from urban and public use to research, education and health (Programa de sustentabilidad Noronha + 20, 2011). Co-management mechanism processes between local fisheries and biodiversity-related institutions, particularly the PA system, seem counterproductive, as conservation activities are not fully integrated into small-scale fisheries to provide benefits to these communities (Cantareli et al., 2016). The State Party of Brazil (2023) reported that the lack of governance is a situation found both in ICMBio, in the State of Pernambuco, and in the site management of the Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protection Area.

The property has adequate legal protection conferred by a number of federal laws and state regulations. The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), an autonomous federal agency under the Ministry of Environment, is responsible for the management and conservation of the site (World Heritage Committee, 2015). The Atol das Rocas Marine Protected Area was established in 1979 and later redesignated as the first National Biological Marine Reserve. In 1988 the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park was created by Federal Decree 96.693 and in 1989 the entire archipelago and surrounding waters were declared an Environmental Protection Area of the state of Pernambuco by State Decree 13555 which forms the legal basis for the buffer zone around the Marine National Park. Law enforcement is incipient, hampered by lack of resources (IBAMA, 2006).

Fernando de Noronha is administratively divided among three main entities: the Government of the State of Pernambuco—through the Administration of the State District of Fernando de Noronha (ADEFN)—the Brazilian Air Force, and ICMBio (Ataíde et al., 2024). The region includes two federal conservation units: the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park and the Environmental Protection Area of Fernando de Noronha - Rocas - São Pedro and São Paulo. Fioravanso (2020) analyzed environmental governance in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and identified two key challenges: the lack of institutional integration and the failure to enforce environmental regulations, both of which contribute significantly to the socio-environmental issues affecting the area. Similarly, in 2023, the State Party of Brazil emphasized the ongoing governance deficiencies within both ICMBio, the site management of the Marine National Park, and the State of Pernambuco. These gaps have hindered effective site inspection and overall management (State Party, 2023). Additionally, collaboration between the World Heritage site managers and other stakeholders has been consistently reported as weak, further limiting the effectiveness of conservation and management efforts.

An overall framework for integration into national and state protected areas systems and tourism development activities exists (ICMBio, 2011b). However, in practice comprehensive integrated management could be improved (IUCN Consultation, 2014).

At the time of inscription, the boundaries of the property were deemed "adequate for conserving marine biodiversity" (IUCN, 2001), and it was noted that all key terrestrial habitats were included within the property. However, concerns have been raised regarding the level of awareness among the local population about the site's World Heritage status and its boundaries (IUCN Consultation, 2014). In the 2023 periodic report the State Party indicated that the Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves cover a total area of 42,270 hectares, with a buffer zone of 140,713 hectares. In 2023, the State Party considers the site's boundaries and buffer zone to be appropriate for the conservation of marine biological diversity and states they do not limit the ability to maintain the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), even though the property is divided into two separate components (State Party of Brazil, 2023).

In 2015, 35,186 hectares of the Atol das Rocas Reserves were designated as a Ramsar site, followed by 10,929 hectares of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago in 2018. The extent to which this is integrated in the management of the World Heritage site could not be assessed comprehensively. Additionally, both areas were incorporated into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, as thei overlap with the Atlantic Forest Biosphere reserve. Regarding the Geopark program, the area is not currently included; however, there are plans to promote its inclusion within the next three years (State Party of Brazil, 2023). Additionally, the Fernando de Noronha archipelago is one of the key areas for biodiversity conservation on the Brazilian coast.

No Committee decisions have been taken since inscription of the property.

In Brazil, the enactment of Law No. 12.187 on December 29, 2009, which established the National Policy on Climate Change, has played a key role in advancing efforts to understand the nature, intensity, and frequency of climate change impacts. This law, along with the National Adaptation Plan introduced in 2021, aims to identify vulnerable populations and implement targeted adaptation and mitigation strategies. A study by Monteiro et al. (2021) assessed the vulnerability of the population of Fernando de Noronha using the Municipal Vulnerability Index developed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, census data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and geospatial analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery processed through specialized software. The study concluded that the population exhibits a medium level of vulnerability. Although Brazil has developed an Adaptation National Plan, the coastal management framework and primarily port planning there remains a need to improve implementation and institutionalisation (Lima & de Souza, 2022). Furthermore, there is limited evidence available regarding the specific impacts of climate change on World Heritage property and relevant site level management responses.

Fernando de Noronha National Park, Rocas Biological Reserve and the surrounding Environmental Protection Area are understaffed and underfunded, which hampers efficient law enforcement (IUCN Consultation, 2014). The Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve is banned from public access and managed for the protection of species and for research. The Reserve benefits from surveillance by the Brazilian Navy and the Air Force, notably as concerns fishing and tourism activities, while the National Parks has a Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Management Plan, strictly controlling the development of tourism infrastructure and visits (World Heritage Committee, 2015). The updating of the management plans (Santana et al., 2016; ICMBio, 2017) suggests adequate responses are being proposed by the protected area (PA) authority to face the new challenges to control illegal activities and reinforce management. EcoNoronha, ICMBio and Gestão Insular imposes fees on tourists and, therefore, influence their behaviour due to intense monitoring. Migration control for tourists, residents and temporary workers is mandatory in the airport and port. These measures work in practice because the aforementioned actors hold the discourse of environmental conservation and carrying capacity that is subsided by research. The redistribution of those payments for ecosystem services are invested in environmental protection posing as incentive for people to pay the entrance fee and TPA (IUCN Consultation, 2020). The Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park has fenced-off beaches where visitors must show their previously paid “visitor card”, valid for ten days, in the PICs (control posts), where it is checked electronically in order to be granted access to these specific beaches within the park (de Araujo et al., 2018). Currently, the two sites have well-developed but separate management plans, both of which address key issues such as tourism, scientific research, environmental education, and the protection and monitoring of biodiversity. However, according to the State Party the Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Management Plan, built with the support of the local population, was not implemented. These plans were supported by complementary studies—including Noronha +20, the Carrying Capacity Studies for Fernando de Noronha, and the Ecotourism Management Plan—all developed with input from the local community (State Party of Brazil, 2023). However, the lack of implementation has led to negative impacts on both protected areas, with direct consequences for the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park (State Party of Brazil, 2023). In response, preparatory meetings for the revision of the Management Plan for the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Fernando de Noronha began in January 2024, marked by strong public participation.

Law enforcement efforts remain limited due to a lack of resources (IBAMA, 2006). However, recent progress has been made in strengthening the legal framework. Notably, Ordinance No. 242 of April 2021 and Ordinance No. 1,275 of December 2022 introduced important updates to the Management Plan of the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Fernando de Noronha – Rocas – São Pedro and São Paulo.

While 70% of the entrance fees go back to management of the park, finance was considered in 2012 as inadequate to manage the site as outlined in the management plans (ICMBio, 2012). In 2023, the State Party reported three main funding sources for the World Heritage property: multilateral funding, national or federal government support, and commercial activities. International donations accounted for 15% of the operating costs but were not allocated to project expenses. The available budget is considered acceptable and secure over the medium term, however it could be improved to fully meet management needs (State Party of Brazil, 2023). Payment for ecosystem services schemes in Fernando de Noronha are valuable for preserving ecosystem services through ecotourism in protected areas if the revenues are re-invested into the preservation of the site, which is the case with the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park (de Araujo, 2018).

The EPA management plan includes a capacity-building program aimed at environmental guides and the local population to improve tourism management and other activities for both management and technical staff (ICMBio, 2017). ICMBio currently runs ACADEBIO, a state-owned academy designed to strengthen the capacities of all Chico Mendes staff across the country. ICMBio, a government-based organization established in 2007, is responsible for managing federal protected areas in Brazil, including the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park and the Fernando de Noronha Protected Area. Funded by both the federal and state governments, ICMBio had 50 employees and 8 volunteers working on Fernando de Noronha in 2016 (de Araujo et al., 2018). In 2023, the State Party noted that the presence of trained human resources positively impacts management activities but the availability of most training opportunities is still poor (State Party of Brazil, 2023).

Sporadic educational activities are carried out, but the awareness among local people of the World Heritage status of the property is low (IUCN Consultation, 2014). Environmental NGOs participate in tourism discussions to guide measures and monitoring with local communities (Estima et al., 2013). The current management plan has an education and interpretation program (ICMBio, 2017), but its effectiveness is still to be assessed. In 2023, State Party noted that there is a limited and ad hoc education and awareness programme currently implemented at the property (State Party of Brazil, 2023).

The Tamar Project Visitor Center offers free talks each evening to create awareness in visitors and the community. The educational topics are sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, National Park, ecotourism, and others. The area also hosts the Sea Turtle Outdoor Museum, with life-size fiberglass replicas of the five species of sea turtles found in Brazil. As an interpretive, educational environment and local development provider, the Visitor Center and the Museum are now part of the tourism product of Fernando de Noronha.
Another of the island’s educational offerings is the Shark Museum, where a series of interpretive signs discuss wave patterns and ocean currents and their role on the island. The Noronha Memorial “Américo Vespúcio Cultural Space” also includes educational interpretive signage focusing on geologic and geomorphologic aspects of the archipelago (Moreira et al. 2021).

Centro Golfinho Rotador is an NGO that was created to protect the Rotador Dolphin, but has extended its efforts towards environmental conservation as a whole and has also focused on social welfare. Centro Golfinho Rotador is funded by donations from both public and private institutions (IUCN Consultation, 2020). Centro TAMAR is a cooperation between a government agency and a non-government-based institution with 22 bases throughout Brazil aiming at conserving endangered marine turtle species. Their main action towards tourism is the Ecotourism Program, which consists of three initiatives: 1. Assisted intentional capture: tourists can watch turtles being safely captured every Monday and Thursday. 2. Tartarugada: monitoring of Leão Beach to mark nests and female turtles. Only four people can participate in this initiative due to small living quarters. 3. Nest opening: baby marine turtles release (de Araujo et al., 2018). There is also Noronha + 20, a 20-year program built with civil society, the production sector and the government aimed at preventing environmental degradation in the Archipelago. The environmental protection area has helped making human presence and nature conservation more compatible, contributing to environmental education through direct contact with different forms of life and the interaction with nature (Santana et al., 2016).

Fernando de Noronha is administratively divided among the Government of the State of Pernambuco—through the Administration of the State District of Fernando de Noronha (ADEFN)—the Brazilian Air Force, and ICMBio (Ataíde & Lins, 2024). This site offers a well-developed network of trails guided by trained local experts, along with recreational activities such as horseback riding, fishing, and boat tours. Dolphin watching is particularly popular among visitors. The National Park features an interpretive center at its headquarters, where environmental education talks are held regularly (UNEP-WCMC, 2011).

However, there is some concern that the current tourism model is unsustainable and inappropriate for the island, and that a shift toward an ecotourism-based approach is needed to ensure the conservation of the property's OUV.

Fernando de Noronha has conducted carrying capacity study and developed sustainable tourism infrastructure that supports a high-quality visitor experience while prioritizing environmental preservation. Despite these efforts, the number of visitors continues to rise. Both Gestão Insular and EcoNoronha have acknowledged the problem: the number of annual visitors increased from 90,000 in 2015 to over 106,000 in 2019, and according to the annual flow chart publicly available from the Island's Administration, the site received 114,106 tourists in 2021 (Ataíde & Lins, 2024). This far exceeds the management plan’s optimal limit of 89,000 tourists per year (Marinho, 2020). Illegal accommodation and unauthorized tourist entries also remain issues that require strict monitoring and enforcement (de Araujo, 2018). ICMBio Transparency data (https://www.parnanoronha.com.br/en/transparencia) indicates that the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park received 131,503 visitors in 2024. The Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Management Plan—although initially developed with local community support—was ultimately not implemented (State Party of Brazil, 2023). Consequently, tourism infrastructure expanded uncontrollably in urbanized areas outside the park boundaries, resulting in violations of the carrying capacity in several parts of the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park. In contrast, the conservation status of the Atol das Rocas ecosystems has improved. Predatory fishing and the illegal presence of tourist boats no longer pose significant threats to their ecological integrity (State Party of Brazil, 2023).

The annual increase in the number of tourists has impacted the island’s environment, which has encouraged authorities to establish visitation limits and an admission fee per day, called “environmental preservation fee (Taxa de Preservação Ambiental – TPA)”. The fee is paid to the federal government of Pernambuco and is then returned to Gestão Insular, who decides where to invest the money. To provide ecotourism services to the public, an entrance fee was established to allow entrance to specific areas of the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park for up to 10 consecutive days. Both the TPA and the entrance fee are mandatory for visitors to the island. Although the fees are expensive considering the cost of living in Brazil, visitation numbers have increased since their establishment (de Araujo et al., 2018).

Both terrestrial and marine carrying capacities may needs to be reviewed and updated due to the unregulated growth of tourism, the expansion of lodging facilities without adequate sanitation, increasing erosion and degradation of drainage systems and watersheds, and the broader deterioration of natural ecosystems. These factors are compromising the ecosystem’s ability to sustain species and withstand environmental disturbances.

Lobster fishing is allowed in the Sustainable Fishing Zone of the environmental protection area, but no information is available regarding whether it can be considered sustainable. Tourism as mentioned above poses a key threat to the OUV and requires more effective management.

In 2023, the development of low-impact research and monitoring were identified as positive aspects of the site, compared to the reality of other Conservation Units in Brazil (State Party of Brazil, 2023). According to the information provided by the State Party, there is a comprehensive and integrated monitoring program that addresses management needs and enhances understanding of the site’s Outstanding Universal Value. However, there are gaps in the indicators used and in stakeholder participation in the monitoring activities (State Party of Brazil, 2023).

A comprehensive monitoring system has not been developed for the entire World Heritage site. However, the Brazilian National Reef Monitoring Program has monitored coral coverage and condition in the property since 2002 (Rodriguez-Ramiriz et al., 2008). Plans were underway to develop a specific monitoring system for recreational diving in order to reduce damage to coral communities (Luiz, 2012), however the current status of this is unclear. Fishing data indicate the need to elaborate a joint resource management plan that results in the valuation of the artisanal fisherman and the sustainability of the fishing activity, including a monitoring strategy (Domínguez et al., 2015). The Noronha +20 Sustainability Observatory is a proposal of management and monitoring instruments to follow up actions in the management plan, organize and collect information and disseminate actions and results (Programa de sustentabilidad Noronha + 20, 2011).

Since the 1970s, the Federal government has organised scientific expeditions and research today is regularly conducted, particularly on spinner dolphins (Project GOLFINHO ROTADOR) and nesting marine turtle populations (Project TAMAR) on Fernando de Noronha, where the main nesting beaches of the green turtle have been monitored since 1987. These projects are however highly dependent on external funding from PETROBRAS National Oil Company and other sources. On the Atol das Rocas regular studies have been conducted since 1990 on migratory and resident seabirds, as well as on migrating hawksbill turtles, fish, crustaceans, coralline algae and benthic organisms (WDPA, 2011). Long-term research on reef fishes has received more attention in the recent years, as a means for evaluating overfishing effects and for comparing pristine vs coastal areas under urban impacts (MCTI/CNPq, 2012). Research facilities have been developed on Fernando de Noronha (TAMAR Project since 1984), Atol das Rocas (University of North Rio Grande since 1991), and in the Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo Archipelago (since 1998) (ICMBio, 2011b). Several projects have been led by the ICMBio and research institutions e.g. sharks project on participatory monitoring (Gracía y Clapis, 2008), the Tamar Project for marine turtles and the Spinner Dolphin Project (World Heritage Committee, 2015; Mohr et al., 2009). Recently established partnerships among governmental executive bodies, NGO’s, research institutes and universities have promoted the development of research and management of invasive species on the archipelago (Micheletti et al., 2020).

In addition to the TPA and entrance fees, and to further support local wildlife management, ICMBio has developed two key projects: the Tamar-ICMBio Project—an internationally recognized marine conservation initiative that actively involves coastal communities in socio-ecological research and conservation activities—and the Spinner Dolphin Project, which focuses on the preservation of spinner dolphins in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. The latter is carried out by the NGO Spinner Dolphin Center and officially sponsored by Petrobras through its Social and Environmental Program.

Threats originating outside the property include inappropriate tourism development, urban growth in the town of Vila dos Remedios on Fernando de Noronha, novel invasive species and climate change. Environmental impacts from cruise tourism need to be further investigated. The current management system is not fully effective at mitigating these threats, in part due to lacking cooperation between site management, local authorities and other local stakeholders and the lack of implementation of plans, also due to lacking resources.

The Fernando de Noronha Archipelago National Marine Park, the Atol das Rocas Marine Biological Reserve and the Environmental Protection Area (APA) are administered by the Chico Mendes Biodiversity Conservation Institute (ICMBio). Management Plans were prepared by ICMBio for the Atol das Rocas Marine Biological Reserve in 2007 and for the Fernando de Noronha APA and National Marine Park in 2011 and address issues such as tourism, research, environmental education, protection and monitoring of the biodiversity. For the environmental protection area, the management plan was updated and singed in June 2017 (ICMBio, 2017).

The advisory councils of the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park and the Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protected Area holds six meetings annually. Residents tend to be more involved in meetings related to the protected area because these are focused on the urban area of the island. ICMBio has made efforts to establish a participative management program through the advisory councils, but most of the residents leave the decisions to their “leaders” claiming their requests were never accepted. The dominant groups tend to have their own discourse and, because they are in a position of power, this speech becomes official, acting as true for the rest of the community. The less powerful actors in this context have no priority in the interests of more powerful actors and often have no means to fight for more support. Thus, the interests of minority groups are not popular, they do not become public and are not discussed as a possibility (de Araujo et al., 2018). In 2023, the State Party mentioned that the Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Management Plan—originally developed with support from the local population—was not implemented. As a result, tourist and visitation infrastructure expanded uncontrollably in urbanized areas outside the property, leading to non-compliance with the carrying capacity in various parts of the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park. In contrast, the preservation level of the ecosystems in Atol das Rocas has improved, with predatory fishing and the illegal presence of tourist boats no longer representing major threats to the site's integrity. The marine ecosystems, endangered species and the spinner dolphin key attributes nevertheless are considered seriously compromised (State Party of Brazil, 2023).